2 PM sharp. The doorbell rang at the house.
Ian checked his appearance one last time in the mirror and opened the door. During the short walk through the yard to the front gate, his heart pounded strangely fast. Come to think of it, this was his first proper date too. Before going to Lancia, he had more fun hanging out with his hyungs than dating, and in Lancia, he hadn’t had the leisure for romance.
‘Why am I so nervous about this?’
When he slowly opened the gate, a sight he’d never seen before awaited him outside. The sparkling golden hair was obediently hidden under a black cap, and instead of the suit that always wrapped his body, a dark navy knit sweater and slacks had taken its place.
“Wow!”
Ian let out an exclamation without realizing it. The ‘ordinary boyfriend look’ that Yoon Sora had coordinated while coughing up blood far transcended the realm of ordinary when combined with Vermouth’s overwhelming physique.
Ian discreetly tugged at his own top. Should he have been more careful about his outfit? No, no. Anyone standing next to Vermouth would obviously look like a squid.
Better to just give up on looks. Thinking this, Ian accepted the gift box Vermouth handed him.
“What’s this?”
He’d thought he might receive a bouquet of flowers, but he hadn’t imagined a gift box.
“Couple phones.”
“Huh?”
“I was told that sharing locations in real-time and maintaining constant contact is an iron rule of ‘normal dating’ between lovers.”
Wait, he understood everything else, but what’s with the real-time location sharing? Do people date like that these days? That feels a bit scary. But for now, he stayed quiet. Because he didn’t know anything about it.
“Well, okay for now. Should we go then?”
“Yes.”
Making a mockery of their call for a normal date, the two got into a car provided by the Management Bureau. The driver was Yoon Sora. Because neither Ian nor Vermouth had a driver’s license.
“Wouldn’t it be better to use public transportation?”
Ian suggested, but Yoon Sora shook her head in horror.
“Absolutely not! People will swarm you!”
She didn’t understand why those two treated their own popularity so lightly.
‘I can see it.’
The countless people who would swarm them if they normally used public transportation. Awakeners of this era weren’t just hunters who entered gates and took care of monsters. Many possessed flashy abilities, and the higher the rank, the more handsome men and beautiful women there were, so some enjoyed popularity rivaling that of celebrities. As a result, they often received personal requests for autographs or photos.
“Absolutely not. Just think of me as invisible.”
Yoon Sora emphasized again. The car headed to a private cinema located on the outskirts of Seoul. Vermouth got out of the car first and naturally opened the door for Ian, escorting him.
“We’ve arrived.”
His softly smiling appearance was wonderful. Was the cap still not enough? She should have made him wear sunglasses and a mask too. While Yoon Sora had belated regrets, the two entered the building side by side.
“Hello. I’m Yoon Sora, who made a reservation for today.”
“Hello. I’ll help you confirm your reservation.”
Even while saying this, the employee’s eyes strangely wouldn’t leave Vermouth. And soon they glanced at Ian standing beside him too.
‘That’s a familiar face, isn’t it?’
That was exactly the expression. Even though not many people frequented the private cinema, everyone they saw made that expression. Some people looked like they were itching to strike up a conversation. But Vermouth appropriately deflected those people.
He was already a difficult type to approach, but when he turned around with a cold expression, everyone obediently backed off. Vermouth didn’t want to have this rare time alone with Ian interrupted. Moreover, he also didn’t like those people showing interest in Ian.
Thanks to this, Ian was able to comfortably enter their assigned screening room.
“People have good manners here.”
“Indeed. That’s fortunate.”
Vermouth replied shamelessly while clinging to Ian.
“There are just many well-mannered citizens.”
After entering, it wasn’t long before an employee brought the food they’d ordered. Popcorn and cola, squid legs and fried food, nachos, and so on.
Ian had ordered everything you could eat at a movie theater. Actually, he hadn’t been to a movie theater many times either, so he was a bit excited now. What was showing was a popular action movie that was doing well these days. It was a common story of fighting and brawling with a little love sprinkled in, but it was popular because of its large scale and famous actors.
However, Ian watched the movie with an indifferent expression the whole time.
‘This is less fun than I thought?’
Perhaps because he’d experienced too many spectacular things in Lancia, that level of action didn’t give him any sense of satisfaction. It seemed to be the same for Vermouth. His face watching the flashing screen wasn’t much different from Ian’s. Though the face itself was out of spec, so watching it was more interesting.
‘He’s handsome.’
Looking at him made Ian think about playing a little prank. Ian subtly raised his hand and lightly touched the back of Vermouth’s hand. Then he, who had been watching the screen the whole time, turned his gaze to Ian.
“Is the movie fun?”
When Ian asked in a whisper, Vermouth widened his eyes and answered.
“It’s fun.”
“Really?”
“Yes, more precisely, the current situation rather than the movie is fun. It’s enjoyable because Ian-nim is right beside me.”
Ian laughed at his honest words.
“Thinking about it, you say embarrassing things like it’s nothing.”
“I don’t understand why expressing one’s heart should be embarrassing.”
“This world is just like that.”
Ian now openly held Vermouth’s hand. And with his other hand, he picked up the popcorn they’d ordered but hadn’t properly eaten. He must have been nervous despite not acting like it. There was the worry that Vermouth, being such a crazy bastard, might go wild, and also because this kind of atmosphere was a first for him.
When he energetically chewed and swallowed the popcorn, he could taste the savory flavor. And he burst out laughing again at the straw that immediately approached his mouth. Since he could only use one hand, Vermouth seemed to be trying to help him eat. So Ian drank the cola and also put popcorn in Vermouth’s mouth.
“How is it?”
“The savory and salty taste is delicious. Is it made from corn?”
“Yep!”
Like that, the two fed each other food while watching the movie. From some point on, the video wasn’t boring anymore either.
“I could fight better than that.”
Vermouth said this while criticizing the protagonist’s fighting style as if it were pathetic. And because Ian knew that was true, he nodded.
“That’s true. But it’s not bad.”
“That, I agree with as well.”
It really wasn’t a bad time.
“What’s the next schedule?”
“I’ve reserved a restaurant nearby.”
“Do we have to take the car?”
“The distance is short, so we can walk.”
“What should we do about feeling sorry to Yoon Sora-ssi?”
“So I’ve agreed to repay her next time.”
“In what way?”
“I’ve agreed to help her with anything once.”
Isn’t that quite a significant price? With the help of Vermouth, the strongest in Lancia, she’d be able to escape any critical situation. Did he prepare today’s date so carefully that he’d promise such a thing as compensation? Thinking this, Ian’s heart tickled.
Was Vermouth really changing? There was also the fact that he’d accepted him thinking there was no other choice between hyung and Vermouth. However, seeing him change like this felt quite nice.
“What are we going to eat at the restaurant?”
“I’m told people usually eat pasta.”
Come to think of it, he hadn’t eaten pasta many times either. In Lancia, they’d serve it when visiting noble estates, but the taste was strangely lacking. It must have been because supplies had run out due to the long war.
“Bracken pasta is supposed to be famous.”
“Pasta has bracken in it?”
When Ian asked curiously while clinging to him, Vermouth turned on his phone and showed him a photo.
“It really does have it in there?”
Now he was curious about the taste. In the meantime, the movie ended. Ian tried to get up from his seat and realized their fingers were still intertwined. Considering Korea’s general perspective, they probably shouldn’t show others the sight of same-sex people holding hands, but…
‘What does it matter?’
He’d seen countless lives perish without being able to do what they wanted to do. It’s better to do what you want than regret it later. Therefore, Ian left the screening room holding hands with Vermouth side by side. He didn’t care what the gazes of the people who saw them were like.
They walked a short distance, arrived at the restaurant, and tasted the bracken pasta. Vermouth had a good appetite, so he also added steak and other dishes. He shared his portion with Ian, and trying various things was fun too. The atmosphere continued to flow like that until they parted.
It was a surprisingly normal date.
